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Hagia Sophia, the
epitome of Byzantine architecture, occupies a prominent
place in the history of Istanbul. One of the rare
wonders that have survived the ravages of time, the
Hagia Sophia or Ayasofya as known in Turkish, was the
largest cathedral in the world for around a thousand
years after it was constructed.

A popular landmark of the Byzantine rule, the Hagia
Sophia, was constructed as a magnificent church during
the reign of Justinian. The Emperor spared no expenses
for the construction and the result was apparent in its
fantastic architecture. Huge slabs and pillars of marble
from earlier eras were taken apart from various places
and shipped to Istanbul for this ambitious project. The
interior of the great church was spell bounding in
magnificence. This imperial structure truly reflects the
splendor and glory of the Byzantine era.

A description of the interiors of the beautiful
cathedral is incomplete without the mention of its
mosaics which were added throughout the centuries. They
depicted various religious figures like the Virgin Mary,
Jesus Christ, Saints, Emperors and Empresses. Some of
the mosaics worthy of mention are The Imperial Gate
Mosaic, The Apse Mosaic, The Southwest entrance mosaic,
etc.

The Imperial Gate Mosaic, located in the tympanum above
the grand entrance, depicts an emperor with a nimbus,
who is bowing down before Christ Pantocrator who is
seated on an embellished throne. In the mosaic, Christ
is seen giving His blessings with his right hand and
holding an open book in his left hand, which reads
"Peace be with you. I am the light of the world". There
is a round pendant on either side of Christ's shoulders.
The mosaic also shows Archangel Gabriel to the left of
Christ and the Virgin Mary to the right. This mural is
very significant of the eternal influence of Christ over
the Byzantine rulers.

Another marvelous mosaic situated in the tympanum of the
southwestern entrance is that of the Virgin Mary sitting
on a backless throne with Christ on her lap. Her feet
rest on top of a pedestal decorated with precious
stones. The child Christ gives his blessings while
holding out a scroll in his left hand and to the left of
the blessed mother stands Emperor Constantine who gifts
the model of the city to her. There is an inscription
next to the emperor which says "Great emperor
Constantine Om the Saints". Emperor Justinian stands to
the right side of the Virgin, offering her a model of
the Hagia Sophia.

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The Apse mosaic is situated on the top of the half dome
of the apse and again features the Blessed Mother with
her feet on a bejeweled pedestal, with baby Christ on
her lap, against a golden background.

Several magnificent mosaics are also found in the Upper
Gallery, which happened to be the forte of the Empress
and the other court ladies, who assembled there to watch
the proceedings of the court below. The Emperor
Alexander mosaic pictures the Emperor in full regalia,
with a skull in his left hand. Another impressive mosaic
found there is the Empress Zoe mosaic which features
Christ Pantocrator in a blue robe, holding a Bible in
his left hand. On either of his sides are the Emperor
Constantine IX and Empress Zoe, holding a purse and a
scroll respectively with inscriptions.

The Mosaic of the Comnenos depicting the Virgin Mary,
Baby Christ, Emperor John II Komnenos, Empress Eirene,
and their eldest son Alexius Comnenos is seen on the
eastern wall of the Southern gallery. Another mosaic
that is supposed to be one of the finest, is found on
the imperial enclosure of the upper gallery is the
Deesis Mosaic, which marked the return of the Orthodox
faith. In this mosaic, Virgin Mary and John the Baptist
are requesting the intercession of Christ Pantocrator
for humanity on the Judgment Day. Another remarkable
mosaic found in the Hagia Sophia is the Northern
Tympanon Mosaic, featuring various saints like Saint
John Chrysostom and Ignatius the Younger in white robes
and holding Bibles.

From the 1930s, restoration work of the mosaics is being
carried out by a team from the American Byzantine
Institute. Restorers are striving to maintain a delicate
balance between the Islamic and Christian cultures. But
most of the important mosaics have been given back their
erstwhile glory.

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